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A Life Course Theory of Suicide Risk
Author(s) -
Chew Kenneth S. Y.,
McCleary Richard
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1994.tb00748.x
Subject(s) - life course approach , situated , psychology , suicide risk , suicide prevention , developmental psychology , poison control , medicine , medical emergency , computer science , artificial intelligence
The three distinct suicide cycles reported since the late 19th century have been explained using sociological and biological theories. Despite their obvious differences, both theories operate through motivation. Like other aspects of suicide, however, such cycles can also be explained by opportunity. Analysis of recent findings on age‐ and sex‐specific suicide cycles illustrates a fundamental confound of motivation and opportunity, and underscores the need for a theory of suicide that is based on risk (risk = motivation x opportunity), and that is situated in a framework of age‐ and sex‐specific life course contingencies.